Patient advocacy group sues AMA for open access to CPT system

A patient advocacy group called PatientRightsAdvocate.org has filed a lawsuit against the American Medical Association (AMA) to open the AMA's copyrighted Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) system for free public use. The CPT system, developed by the AMA in the 1960s, is used to classify medical procedures in government systems and electronic healthcare transactions.

Because of this, the public's need to access the system has led to the AMA charging fees for physical copies or access. The lawsuit argues that the AMA has no right to prevent the public from accessing CPT and charging fees, citing legal copyright precedent and fair use principles. The group plans to scan and post a 2026 print edition of CPT on their website for public access if they win the case.

The AMA generated $296.4 million in revenue and $267.5 million in profit in 2025, with the majority coming from CPT licenses and sales. The patient advocacy group argues that these fees are increasing healthcare costs for patients and employers unnecessarily. The lawsuit comes as lawmakers and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have been scrutinizing the AMA's influence over areas like Medicare reimbursement rates.